Pitman connection.



B. R. BENJAMIN.

PITMAN CONNECTION.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 15, 1912.

Patented June 11, 1912.

rip.

BERT R. BENJAMIN, 0F OAK PARK, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO INTERNATIONAL HARVES'IEB COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

PITlVIAN CONNECTION.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 11, 1912.

.T '0 all whom it may concern.

Be it known that I, BERT R. BENJAMIN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Oak Park, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Pitman Connections, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to pitman connections, and in particular to such as are used in connection with the cutting apparatus of mowing machines and harvesters, and consists in improved means for automatically adjusting the bearing jaws in a manner whereby they are held in engagement with a bearing block and will close thereon for the purpose of taking up any looseness that would otherwise occur caused by wear of the associated parts; the object of my invention being to provide a construction simple in its parts, easily assembled, readily applied and efiioient in operation. These objects are attained by means of the mechanism illustrated by the accompanying drawings, in which-- Figure 1 represents a top plan view of part of a pitman and a portion of a knife used with the cutting apparatus of a mowing machine; Fig. 2 is a view similar to Fig. 1, and designed to illustrate the manner of disengaging the pitman jaws from the bearing block carried by the knife head; Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the parts shown in Fig. 1; Fig. 4 is a detached detail of one of the jaw members of the structure; Fig. 5 is a plan view of a key operative, when associated with the other parts of the mechanism, in a manner to control the movable jaws of the structure; and Fig. 6 is an end elevation of Fig. 5.

The same reference characters designate like parts throughout the several views.

1 represents the back part of a mower knife to which sections 2 are secured, and 3 a knife head having a longitudinally and vertically arranged rib 4 integral therewith and provided at its upper portion with a semi-spherical bearing block 5, common in the class of machines indicated.

6 represents flexible pitman straps having one end thereof secured to a pitman body 7 by means of rivets 8, the body of the pitman being preferably made of wood and the opposite ends of said straps being provided with jaw members 9, having bear ing cavities therein adapted to receive the opposite sides of the bearing block 5 in a well-known manner. engagement with the block by means of a sliding key member 10 having a T-shaped head portion 11 provided at opposite ends thereof with cross head members 12, having inclined shoulder portions 13 upon opposite sides of the body of the head. 14 represents a handle port-ion at the opposite end of the key. The flexible strap members are provided with inwardly-projecting ear members 15,having semi-circular notches at their inner ends adapted to receive the key in a slidable manner, and outwardly inclined web portions 16 in the direction of the jaws and upon opposite sides of longitudinally-arranged slots 17 in the web of the straps. The cross head members 12 have their shoulder portions 13 in engagement with the inclined web portions of the straps in a manner to cause the jaws to close upon the bearing block when the key is given a sliding movement toward the jaws. A coiled compression spring 18 encircles the body portion of the key 10 and is operative between the ear members 15 and the head of the key in a manner to move the key longitudinally upon the straps in a direction to cause the jaws to close upon the bearing block. The straps are provided with outwardly projecting curved ribs 19 that shield the ends of the head portion of the key against the grass that otherwise might contact therewith in a manner to impair its efiioiency. One of the slots 17 is provided with an enlargement 20 at one end thereof that permits the strap to pass beyond the shoulder portion of the head of the key when the key is retracted, as shown by dotted lines in Fig. 2, for the purpose of disengaging the jaws from the bearing block, and when the strap is in the position shown the cross head member 12 contacts with the body of the strap in a manner to retain the key in a retracted position.

When it is desired to release the jaws from engagement with the bearing block the key is retracted by the operator pulling back on the handle portion 14 thereof and the straps, owing to their resilience, will separate and open the jaws and they w ll remain open, as shown by dotted llnes 1n Fig. 2, until the operator draws them together to disengage the key, and the key The j aws are held in is then free to slide forward under the force of the spring and secure the jaws in a closed position, and if any wear occurs upon the bearing parts of the jaws, they are thereby closed in a manner to compensate therefor.

hat I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

l. A pitman connection having, in combination, a pitman body, flexible straps upon opposite sides of said body and having one end thereof secured thereto, the opposite end thereof being provided with jaw members having journal bearing portions adapted to engage with a bearing block, said straps having inwardly inclined web portions in the direction of the length thereof and extending from said jaw members toward the opposite ends of said straps, said web portions being provided with centrally arranged slots, said straps being provided with inwardly projecting ear' members intermediate the body portion of said pitman and said jaw members, said ear members having semi-circular notches at their adjacent ends, a slidable key having the body portion received by said notches, and a T'shaped head portion at one end thereof, said T-shaped head portion having cross head portions at opposite ends thereof, said cross head portions being provided with inclined shoulder portions adapted to engage with said inclined web portions, a coiled spring encircling the body portion of said key and operative between said ear members and said head portion in a manner to slide said key in a direction to close said jaws, and means whereby said key may be retracted.

2. A pitman connection having, in combination, a pitman body, flexible straps upon opposite sides of said body and having one end secured thereto, the opposite end thereof being provided with jaw members having journal bearing portions adapted to engage with a bearing block, said straps having inwardly inclined web portions in the direction of the length thereof and extending from said jaw members toward the opposite ends of said straps, said i web portions being provided with centrally arranged slots, one of said slots having an enlargement at one end thereof, said straps being provided with inwardly projecting ear members intermediate the body portion of said pitman and said jaw members, said ear members having semi-circular notches in their adjacent ends, a slidable key having the body portion received by said notches, and a T-shaped head portion at one end thereof, said T-head portion having cross head portions at opposite ends thereof, said cross head portions being provided with inclined shoulder portions adapted to engage with said inclined web portions, a coiled spring encircling the body portion of said key and operative in a manner to slide said key in a direction to close said jaws, and means whereby said key may be'retracted, one of said cross head portions being adapted to be received by the enlargement at the end of the slot in one of said straps in a manner to retain said key in a retracted position.

BERT R. BENJAMIN.

Witnesses: v

C. G. GRznooRzEwsKI, E. L. BACON.

Copies 01' this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents. Washington, D. G. 

